Car-coupling.



No. 695,053. Patented Mar. ll, I902. J. O. HOOVER. OAR- COUPLING.

(Application filed Jan. 10, 1902.)

(No Modul [NVE/V TOR. 00? J; oavez;

' Attorney WITNESSES:

NllE Sterne nrnwr FFICR JACOB D. HOOVER, OF WINCHESTER, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH TO JOSEPH T. FISHER, OF XVINOHESTER, VIRGINIA.

CAR-COUPLING,

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 695,053, dated March 1 1, 1902.

Application filed January 10, 1902. Serial No. 89,149. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JACOB D. HOOVER, a citizen of the United States, residing at VVinchester, in the county of Frederick and State of Virginia, have invented new and useful Improvementsin Oar-Couplings, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in oar-couplings, and has reference more particularly to means for uncoupling cars, such uncoupling being effected by lifting a lockingblock, which can be effected either by manual operation thereof or by the engineer on the locomotive, when the attendant sets such feature of the mechanism so as to be under the control of the engineer. By the construction which will be hereinafter set forth the engineer can uncouplc a car or cars from the train and may have any particular coupler under his control.

The present invention is applicable to the couplings either of freight or passenger cars, wherein is combined a horizontally-pivoted and vertically-vibrating locking-block which engages the tailpiece of the knuckle, said knuckle raising the locking block when swung in one direction, said looking-block holding the knuckle against movement in an opposite direction when it falls or is lowered by gravity, as will be hereinafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view, partly in section, of a car-coupling constructed in accord with my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partially in section. Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken through the coupler-head, and Fige is a detail perspective view of the vibrating locking-block.

In the drawings, A refers to the couplerhead, to which a knuckle B is pivoted, being held in swinging engagement therewith by a vertical pin a. The knuckle is provided with the usual tailpiece b, the rear upper end of said tailpiece where it engages with the locking-block being rounded or beveled for engagement with the locking-block to lift the same when swung toward one of the walls of the coupler-head. The coupler-head has an aperture or recess through one of its vertical side walls, which is covered externally by a socketed cap-piece a, which carries or holds a spring 0, which spring bears upon the knuckle and swings the same beyond the lockingblock when not restrained thereby. lhe locking bar or latch D is loosely mounted on a pin or shaft '61, which is carried or journaled horizontally in the rear portion of the couplerhead, and this shaft is provided with a spline or feather d,which is adapted to engage with the end walls of a recess or enlargement d of an aperture (1 through the locking-block D. The feather orspline is positioned in such relation to the recess that when the lockingblock is lowered the spline will be against or adjacent to the upper wall of the recess, and when so placed arms D D on the ends of the shaft will be forwardly inclined, so as to overbalance and hold the shaft in such position.

To raise the locking block so that the knuckle will be forced or swung away from the side wall of the coupling-head by a manual operation of the locking-block, the arm D may be moved rearwardly by rocking the crank-arm E in its bearings, and the inner member of said crank-arm is connected to the arm D by a flexible connection or chain c. When it is desired to raise the locking-block from the top of the car, a rod G is depressed, said rod being adjacent to the brake-rod F, and when depressed the rod G engages its supporting-spring g, which also contacts with a recess in a spool g,which is mounted on the brake-rod, said brake-rod having a stud or pin which is adapted to engage with serrations or notches in the lower head of the spool. The spool has attached thereto a chain or flexible connection which extends therefrom to the arm D so that byturning the brake-rod the chain willbe wound on the spool and rock the shaft which carries the locking-block. As soon as pressure is taken off the bar G the spring will lift the spool, so that it will turn on the brake-rod and permit the arms and shaft (Z to resume by gravity their usual position.

In freight-cars the brake-rod and rod Gwill extend above the top of the car, and on passenger-cars these rods terminate a short distance above the platform. The chains or flexible connections have su fficient slack to allow for a movement of the coupler-head without tightening such connection, and in the present instance the arms are located in .close proximity to the coupler-head.

The locking-block D is essentially a gravitylock-that is, it will fall into position automatically to lock the knuckle by engagement with the tailpiece thereof when not restrained by the feather or spline on the rock-shaft, and said rock-shaft is normally held by being overweighted by the arms in such position that the spline will be on a horizontal line or project forwardly, so as to allow the locking-bar and the shaftto assume their normal positions solely by gravity.

The locking block or catch D is provided with a rounded or beveled end, against which the rounded or beveled end of the knuckle will engage to lift the latch when the tailpiece contacts therewith in its movement toward the side of the coupling-head having the spring, and when the tailpiece of the knuckle has passed the locking-block the same will fall, the straight edge thereof engaging the straight edge or face of the tailpiece.

The coupling-head has an openingf through its under side, which is positioned slightly in advance of the shaft b, and in said opening is secured a pipe or tube I, which extends up-.

ward and forms a rest or bearing for the locking-block, and the depending portion of the pipe carries a cook or cut-off, below which the pipe is connected to a pipe which extends therefrom to the pipe of the coupler-head on the other end of the car, suitable flexible connections being provided. The pipes I are provided with short sections for coupling the pipes I together, such couplings being of the type used upon air-brakes, and these couplings extend to the tender, and from thence the pipes lead to the cab of the locomotive, so as to be under the control of the engineer, who can let compressed air or steam into the pipes I and when the cocks 7c are properly turned therefrom through the upper end of the pipes I against the locking-block to lift the same and release the coupler when desired.

The locking-block is constructed so as to have on its under side a flat face or portion, in which is formed a recess d of such diameter as to admit therein the upper end of the pipe I, and said recess has a circular depending portion which lies within the bore of the pipe, providing a supplemental circular recess which receives the upper end walls of the pipe I. The pipe provides a support which limits the downward movement of the locking-block,and the recess with which the spline or feather on the shaft d engages may limit the upward movement of the locking-block.

From the foregoing it willbe seen that the brakesman or attendant has only to set the cock is, and after it has been set the engineer can .unoouple such car from the train and will have complete control of the lockingblock of such coupler. The spring behind the tailpiece of the knuckle throws the same beyond the locking-block when it has been raised.

The pipes I may be used to convey either compressed air or steam, and by the construction shown I avoid the use of pistons, cylinders, and springs, the compressed air or steam acting directly upon the locking-block and throwing the same upward when it is de which extends through the coupling-head and is engaged by the locking-block when it is lowered, means attached to the outer end of the pipe for supplying compressed air or fluid under pressure to said pipe and against the locking-block to move the same out of the path of the knuckle.

2. In a car-coupling, the combination with a knuckle, its tailpiece, and a locking-block which is mounted to vibrate on a horizontal pin and is provided forward of said pin with a recess, of a pipe which projects through the coupler-head and forms when seated in the recess a support which limits the downward movement of the locking-block, a cock in said pipe and connections between the lower end of the pipe and a fluid-supply under pressure, substantially as set forth.

3. In a car-coupling, the combination with a knuckle, its tailpiece, and a horizontallypivoted locking-block whose center of gravity is forward of its pivot, of a pipe or tube against which the locking block bears to maintain it in a horizontal position, a pipe for conveying fluid under pressure to the firstmentioned pipe, and a cook or cut-off between such pipes.

4. In a car-coupling, the combination with a knuckle, its tailpiece,- a spring which engages the coupling-head and tailpiece, a horizontally-pivoted locking-block for engagement with the tailpiece, of means for manually raising the locking-block out of engagement with the tailpiece, and means for forcing a blast of air under pressure against the locking-block to effect a movement thereof without direct connection between the locking-block and such lifting means, substantially as set forth.

5. In combination with a car-coupling, the coupling-head having a gravity-lockin g block, a pipe which extends through the couplerhead and terminates beneath the lockingblock, a recess in the locking-block which is adapted to overlie the end of the pipe, substantially as shown and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing wit- IIBSSQS.

JACOB D. HOOVER. Witnesses:

CLARENCE N. WALKER, FRANK S. APPLEMAN. 

